Selective controlling means for alpha plurality of locomotive booster motors



' Dec. 29, 1931.

SELECTIVE CONTROLLING F. R. PETERS 1,838,703 L MEANS FOR- A FLURALITY OFLOCOMOTIVE BOOSTER MOTORS Filed Sept. 27, 1930 2 Sheets-Shet l F. R.PETERS Deg 29, 1931;

SEL ECTIVE CONTROLLING MEANS FOR A PLURALITY OF LOCOMOTIVE BOOSTERMOTORS Filed Sept. 27, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v QWM Patented Dec. 29,1931

' outrun stares;

PATENT m c FRANK RIor-rARn PETERS, or new YoRK, N; Y, AssI noR TOFRANKLIN RAILWAY SUPPLY COMPANY, or new YoaK, n.1, n ooRro arIcn orDELAWARE SELECTIVE CONTROLLING MEANS FOR A PLURALITY or nocoirrorrvnBoos'rER MoroRs Application filed. September 27, 1930. Serial No.484,853.

This invention relates'to locomotiveboost er motors and particularly toan improved means for selectively controlling any one or more of saidboosters where a plurality of them has been employed.

Many of the modern locomotives are now or the tender, and since thewheels of such axles are generally of a diameter which is considerablysmaller than the diameter of the main drivers of the locomotive, it iscustomary to provide suitable mechanism for entraining the booster onlyat times whenit is to become operative as a driving factor so that itmay be disentrained when not in use.

Furthermore, controlling mechanism has been provided for theboosterswhich isa1- ranged so as to be subordinated tothe controllingmechanism for the. main locomotive in order to impose no additionalburden upon the engineer in running l'llS train.

As the use'of booster motors has become plurality of boosters by meansof which any one or any combination of the boosters may be put intooperation without in any way interfering with the automatic character ofthe customary booster controlling devices and regardless of whether ornot the locomotive is running forwardly or backwardly.

Specifically considered, it is the object of my invention to providewhat I have termed a selective valve which I place in the air supply.lines provided for, controllingthe boosters, which valve is soconstructedasto make possible by means of the actuation of'asingle'lever, theoperation in either aforward or abackward direction ofany one or all of the boosters on a locomotive. i

[The foregoing, together with such other objects asmayappearhereinafter, or are. incidentto my invention, areobtainedby means ofaconstruction which is illustrated in the preferred formin theaccompanying draw ings, whereinl Fig.1 is a diagrammatic showing of adoule booster installation in which I have incOrpOfrated myimprovedselective control niechanism; V Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsection through my improved selective valve. Fig. 8 is a front elevationofmy improved selective valve. v

,Fig. 4 is a plan viewof the said valve, and Fig. 5 is a section on theline 55. of Fig.2.

Fig. 1 includes a diagrammatic showing of 'well known boostercontrolling mechanism, the details of which per se form no part of thepresent invention and which, therefore, will not be more fullyillustrated, but in connection with which, if so desired, reference maybe had to the Forker Patent No. 1,778,757,issued on October 21, 1930,

illustrated and they are adapted to be connected to drive the axles 8and 9 through the gearing indicated as a whole by the characters 10 and11 respectively.

Steam is" supplied to the boosters through the steam pipes 12 and 13which are con nected to the locomotive steam chest and in which arelocated the booster throttle valve mechanisms 14.- and 15.

In addition the controlling mechanism for throttle valve 16, thecustomary cylinder cock mechanism 17, dome pilot valve 18 and timingreservoir 19.

From the foregoing it will be seen that each booster is provided with acomplete controlling system and these systems are preferably fluidactuated in accordance with customary practice, the fluid being takenpreferably from the air reservoir and entering the controlling systemsthrough the pipe 20.

The pipe 20 delivers the air to the reverse lever pilot valve 21 whichisalso well known in the art and which is directly associated with thereverse lever 22. The details of this reverse lever pilot valve aredisclosed and'cla-imed in the Forker Patent No. 1,778,- 757, abovereferred to, but in the said patent one booster only is shown.

The description so far relates to devices which are well knownin theart. My invention involves the use of the selective valve 23, thedetails of which are illustrated in Figs. 2'to 5 inclusive and which canbe constructed in accordance with the present invention, as willhereinafter appear, so as to make possible the operation of any one orany combination of boosters on the locomotive.

To complete the brief description of the diagram of Fig. 1 it should benoted that upon manipulation of the lever 24 the engineercan deliver airpressure to the line 25 which -is"connect'edto the port 25a onthe top ofmy improved selective valve. When the reverse lever 22 is in theforwardcorner or in its right hand position air pressure is deliveredtothe pipe 26 which is connected to the port 26a at the top of myselective valve, and when the reverse lever 22 -is moved to the rearcorner or to its left hand position air pressure is delivered to thepipe 27 which isconne'cted to the port 27 won the top'ofmy selectivevalve. 7

The air coming through *the pipe 25 and the port 25a is for the purposeof operating the preliminary'throttle valves 16, and upon properm'anipulation of-the lever28 this air can be delivered to'either or bothof thepreliminary throttle valves 16 through the pipes -25b-and 250which are connected, respectively, to the ports 25(land 25;: at eachside of my selective valve.

The air coming through the pipe 26 can be delivered to either one orboth of the boosters through the pipes 26?) and 260 connected to theports 26d and 266 at the sides of my selective valve. The air comingthroughthe pipe 27 can be delivered to either one orboth of'the boostersthroughthe pipes 276 and 270 which are connected, respectively,to theports27d and 270 at'the sides of myselective valve.

Air-passing through-pipes 26-and either or beth'of said pipes 266 and260 willactuate theboosters 'for forward motion of the locomotive andthe air coming through pipe 2? and passing through either or both of thepipes 277) and 270 will actuate the booster for reverse motion of thelocomotive.

My improved selective valve includes the shell or housing 29 providedwith a suitably ap rture'd flange 30 by means of which it can be securedin any desired location.

\Vithin the housing 29 is a tapered rotary plug valve 31 provided in itsupper part with three slots 25')", 27f and 26;.

In the lower portion of the housing is formed an exhaust passage 32which is open to the atmosphere through the port 33.

The small end 34 of the plug valve projects beyond the front wall of thehousing and carries the operating handle28 illl821 referred to. Wi hinthe hub 35 of the handle 28 is a spring pressed ball or latch 36 adaptedto hold the valve in any selected position of adjustment which, in thepresent instance, would be for any one of the positions shown F via, forboth boosters, which is the co tral position, for the front booster,which is c right hand position, or for the rear booster, whichis thelefthand position, as indicater'l in 3.

The plug valve 31 is inserted through an opening in the rear of thehousing 29 and is held in place by means of the spring 37 and. thethreaded cap 38. Under normal or forward operating conditions, in orderto ensure a perfectly tight valve regardless of the wear which may talreplace, 1 provide a connec tic-n 39 between the dust or channel 267 andthe rear face 'lO of the valve so that whenever theboo. rs are inoperation and the valve per orming its function, there will always bepressure on its rear face ten .g to urge it forwardly against the taperand thereby maintaining a perfectly tight fit.

it will now be apparent that if the engineer wishes to utilize both ofthe boosters, he simply moves the lever 28 to tl c position marked Bothwhereupon the airwhich will be delivered tothc selective valve fromtherererz lever pilot valvethrough the several pipes 7 26 and 27 will befree to pass outwardly at die sides of the selective valve through theports 250 25c, 27d, 2%, 26d and 26/2 already do scribed.

If only the front booster (that is, the booster farthest forward on thelocomotive) is desired, the lever 28 is turned to the front position andair coming from the reverse lever pilot valve can pass outwardly onlythrough the ports 25d, 27d and 26d, and at the same time any air whichmay be trapped in the controlling system for the rear booster is free toexhaust through the port 33 by virtue of the slots 25g, 27g and 26g inthe lower portion of the plug valve which, as will be seen uponinspection of Figs. 2 and 5, are arranged'to connect the ports 25c, 27cand 25a trolling mechanism, and a movable member to the exhaust port 33.7

If desired, the hub of the operating lever 28 may be provided withsome'suitable indicating device, such as the arrow 41.

I wish it to be distinctly understood that while I have illustrated twoboosters in connection with my improved selective valve, it is quiteobvious that more than two boosters might be controlled by a device ofthe same character, it being necessary to increase the number ofconnections as the number of boosters increases. 7

What I claim is 1. The combination of a plurality of boosters, acontrolling mechanism for each boost er, and a common controllingunitfor said mechanisms including means for effecting operation of any one01' of any combination of said boosters.

2. The combination of a plurality of boosters, fluidactuated controllingmeans for each booster, a source of fluid supply, and a valve forcontrolling said fluid supply adapted to be moved to positions where anyone or any combinationof said boosters may be put into operation.

3. A valve for controlling the supply of fluid to a plurality of fluidactuated booster controlling mechanisms, said valve including apreliminary throttle connection, a forward motion connection and areverse motion connection for each controlling mechanism,and a movablemember adapted to .establish said connections for any one or anycombination of said controlling mechanisms.

4-. A valve for controlling the supply of fluid to a plurality of fluidactuated booster controlling mechanisms, said valve including apreliminary throttle connection and a booster actuating connectionforeach conpassage 32and the exhaust adapted to establish saidconnections for any one or any combination of said controllingmechanisms. v

5. The combination of a plurality ofboosters, fluid actuated controllingmeans for each booster, a source of fluid supply, and a valve forcontrolling the supply, said valve having a connection to each boostercontrolling means and an exhaust opening and being adapted to be movedso as to deliver fluid to any one or any combination of said boostercontrolling means and also to connect the controlling means for an idlebooster to said exhaust when other booster controlling means arereceiving fluid. V

6. A valve for controlling the supply of fluid to a plurality of fluidactuated booster controlling mechanisms, said valve including apreliminary throttle connection and a booster actuating connection foreach controlling mechanism as well as an exhaust opening, and a movablemember adaptedto establish said Connections for any one or anycombination of said controlling mechanisms and also to connect thecontrolling mechanism for an idle booster to said exhaust when for anyone or any combination of said controlhng mechanisms and also to connectthecontrolling mechanism for an idle booster to said exhaust when otherbooster mechanls'ms are receivlng fluid.

controlling In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

. FRANK R. PETERS.

